Siaya governor Cornel Rasanga has set out on a path of healing any rifts that could be existing between him and leaders from the county.
He says this will quell any possible disquiet in ODM so that Cord leader Raila Odinga secures presidential votes without hurdles.
Rasanga asked leaders to embrace unity ahead of the 2017 general elections so that they tame friction that might eat into ODM's support in Siaya.
The governor told leaders angling for various elective posts to observe sanity during campaigns instead of lashing at each other.
"All negative energies that cause internal wrangles in ODM should be converted to positive energies [to] rally more Kenyans outside Nyanza to Raila's side," Rasanga said in Siaya town on Tuesday.
He warned those plotting to wreck ODM through the heated competition for county seats among them MCA, MP, senators and governors to tame their ulterior motives.
"We need to give Raila an ample time for his campaigns. We should therefore focus on the Presidency than fight each other at the county," Rasanga said.
Rasanga's call for county unity comes barely two days after Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo and nominated MP Oburu Oginga differed in Bondo over the governor's development track record.
While Midiwo accused Rasanga of leading the county in the wrong direction on matters of development, Oginga said the Gem MP was attacking the governor for no good reason.
Midiwo has always been on the governors' case citing corruption and wasteful expenditure of county resources.
The two are unlikely to work together in 2017, much as Midiwo supported the incumbent's bid in 2013 and during the by-election that followed.
Of interest will be to see how other leaders like Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo, who has also declared interest for governor’s position, will work in harmony with Rasanga.
The governor is yet to honour a Sh10 million pledge towards supporting Ugenya Teachers College, a situation that has threatened his relationship with area MP David Ochieng'.
Some MCAs have also hinted that they will not support Rasanga’s re-election.
